MMA NOTEBOOK: Jackson ready for match with Liddell

STEVE SIEVERT, For the Chronicle |
May 21, 2007

Even in a sport that demands its athletes be wired differently than most, Quinton Jackson operates in a universe all his own.

Whether it is the irreverent commentary — "I don't give a damn about the belt; I just want to get paid" — the oversized chain he wears to the cage or his signature wolf howl to punctuate a victory, the fighter known as "Rampage" makes statements like few others in the sport.

While Jackson never will be confused with the hardest-working or most-committed mixed martial artists and admitted to barely training for his last fight, he is among the most entertaining fighters.

He takes his brand of brawling theater into an Ultimate Fighting Championship title fight for the first time Saturday at UFC 71 in Las Vegas.

Jackson will face Chuck Liddell, the UFC light heavyweight champion and reigning top box-office draw in MMA. The two met in 2003 in a Pride FC bout, a fight thoroughly dominated by Jackson, who knocked down Liddell twice before winning with a second-round TKO.

"Whenever you beat the hell out of somebody, you're always inside their head," Jackson said of the mental tale of the tape with Liddell. "But I don't even think about that. When you beat somebody, most of the time, you have to train harder to beat them again, so that's what I'm doing."

The 28-year-old Memphis native moved his training camp from his home in Irvine, Calif., 85 miles northeast to Big Bear to prepare for Liddell and stepped up his training by working out with a stable of pros: Cheick Kongo, James Irvin and Hector Ramirez. It marked a significant departure for Jackson, whose previous camps had him rolling with mostly wannabe mixed martial artists.

Changing his approach

"I know I needed sparring partners, and I'm not ashamed to say when something isn't going right," Jackson said. "I found some pretty good sparring partners, and I'm getting my (butt) whooped every day and that's the way it needs to be. They frustrate the hell out of me, but it makes me better."

And Jackson (26-6) will need to be better than he was in his UFC debut to make it 2-for-2 against Liddell.

Jackson fought Marvin Eastman at UFC 67 in February, and although Jackson saw his hand raised, it was a lackluster performance. He blamed a nearly seven-month layoff for an effort that was more Quinton than Rampage and believes training and experience give him the edge over Liddell.

"I'm more disciplined in the way I eat and train," said Jackson, a born-again Christian and father of four. "I used to have to cut 15 pounds the day before the fight, but I don't have to do that anymore. That makes me stronger, and I've been working on some things, but I haven't been able to show it in my last couple of fights. I haven't been able to show my new side."

Toe-to-toe affair

Much like their first encounter, Jackson-Liddell 2 is likely to be a stand-up affair. Jackson got the better of the exchanges the first time around and beat Liddell at his own game.

However, Liddell hasn't lost since that bout and has assembled the most impressive current KO streak in MMA. Liddell has stopped seven straight opponents, with no fight making passed the fourth round. The one knock against Jackson has been his susceptibility to the KO. His last three losses have been by knockout or TKO.

Wrong way to prepare

"That was a time when I was sparring with amateurs preparing for a professional fight," he said. "I don't think I was at my best during those times. I'm not going to lie. It was preparation."

With a more professional approach to training this time around, Jackson is ready to have his raised again Saturday.

"I like it when the referees pick up my hand," Jackson said. "That's why I shave my armpits."